Isolation and Identification of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Kurdish Cheese during Ripening using 16S rRNA Gene Sequence Analysis

Abstract

Kurdish cheese is a special local cheese produced and consumed in Khorasan province, North East, Iran. One-hundred and five lactic acid bacteria isolates from various steps of Kurdish cheese ripening after identification of genus level by biochemical tests and molecular analysis based on universal and specific primers are Enterococcus faecium (29.5%), Lactobacillus plantarum (16.2%), Enterococcus faecalis (13.3%), Lactococcus lactis subsp lactis (11.4%), Enterococcus durans (8.6%), Lactobacillus pentosus (8.6%), Lactobacillus casei (3.8%), Enterococcus hirae (2.9%), Lactobacillus paracasei (2.9%), Lactobacillus helveticus (1.9%) and Lactobacillus brevis (0.9%). In initial stages of Kurdish cheese ripening, L. lactis subsp lactis was the predominant LAB, while Enterococcus faecium and Lactobacillus plantarum were the predominant LAB at the later stages. Practical Applications Advances in molecular biology have allowed characterization of relevant strains exactly and improved the possibilities of isolating and characterizing due to the lack of precise genotypic identification of Kurdish cheese lactic microbiota. Traditional fermented foods, including dairy products, can be a source of new LAB strains, with interesting functional properties and with potential applications in food industry and health. Kurdish cheeses have been traditionally prepared, and markets exist in many parts of Iran for many years. The microbial diversity originates from natural microbiota present in the raw milk, and environmental exposures are important for public health point. The results of this work can lead to a useful regulation of further studies on antimicrobial activity of Kurdish cheese LAB, their technological activities and evaluation probiotic potential.